Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-02
PROHIBITION IN IOWA.
To the Pros and Ants of Texas

please publish the following CORE
spGndence between the Hon. George C..
Pendleten, Speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives of Texas, and William Il.
Merfett, postmaster of Des Moines,
Iowa, which explains itself. 1. G. B.
BELToN, TEX, June Il, IsS7.
Postmaster, Des Moines, lows:
DEAR SIR do not know whether you
are Prohioitionist or an anti, and do not
care. ! want to know the truth We
have printed in our Texas papers what
purpoft 20 be editorials from the Bona
parte Journal ard Des Moines Ledger,
your state, giving an account of outrsges
which they claim occurred in your state
under The pTohibitory law. They claim
that PigTCe and Potts, state officers, went
TO the house OF Patrick LsCey at night
and threw MS wife with q one-day-old
baby out Of her bed in spite of her
screams, causing her to faint, and then
cut her bed TO pieces, claiming TO search
for whisky bottles.
Also, that Pierce and Potts went to the
house of one Miller at night, took him
and mis- wife from bed, refused them
chance 10 get bail and carried them 20
the common Jail and then divided them,
putting her in with g lot of prostitutes
until morning, and then turned them
loose Without bringing any Charges
against than, Are these things true? If
so, are there any other outrages OF
the same Character? We are now in the
midst Of heated prohibition campaign
in this state, and an early reply will
greatly Oblige, Yours truly,
GEORGE G. PENDLFTOS
UNITED STATES POsTOFBICE, DIES
MONIES, Iowa, June I7.-Hon. George
c. Pendleton, Bolton, Tex.-Dear Sir:
Yours OF the i4th inst. at hand and con-
tents noted. l have always looked upon
prohibition IS an interference with the
natural rights and liberties of the citizen,
hostile to the well settled constitutional
theories of this government, calculated
to array state against state, neighbOr-
hood against nsighbOThOod anu citizen
against citizen, and must prove destruC-
tive to the peace and good order of So
cieLy. 1t has proved so ia this state, and
while 1t was 8 popular measure when
adopted, IL has become OdiOus in nv
Judgment TO large majority OF the peo-
PIE. lis enforcement N this state has
worked serious lass TO the people. |
II mas cut of alt foreign immigra-
ton into the state zud mas driven
thousands Of INDUSTRIOUS, enterpriSlug.
well-tOdo people out ST the state. Iowa
has subsisted largely fer fifty years on /
revenues derived from foreign immgra-
ton. The stagnatIOh il all branches Of /
business in Iowa in my judgmel is large /
~ due to the adoption ofthis law and the |.
manner Of its Enforcement. Under This |
law, and the ruling Of the courts, trial by Z
jury is virtually abolished This CITY Is .
scourged with empty buildings, |
q thing not known before the law went I
mo effect, and Hhst is true ID Des (
Moines IS true OF every town in the (
state.
The saloons are closed: every exClu- /
siyelY wholesale liquor house in the CITY .
has been driven sWay except one; an .
attempt has Ceen made to close the lar
gest wholesale drug store in tie city, and /
the largest distiilery in the world (the
internationally which never sold, q gill of I
spirits in the state, is closed By injulc-
ton and is now idle.
Preliminary 70 the answering of your
specific inteTrlgatOTies, l have given you I.
q brief history of the working Of t9e law
and its effects,
Now I will answer your interrogato-
RES.
Pierce and Potts have committed .anarv
vile acts in their attempts to executs the
aW. l do not think the law contemplates
entering private houses and selling
liquors, wines or beers used for culinatY,
or medicinal purposes, or even
IS 8 beverage, but such Irresponsible
franks Is Pierce and Potts take advan3-
lge Of loosely constructed law anda
1epraved Public sentiment to raid the pr54
yate dwellings Of the poor not the rich&E
and perpetrste the most infamousE
acts Of tyranny and brutality.
do not think It is true <
.hst Pierce and Potts threw the wife OF Z
Patrick Lacey out Of bed, but it is true
hat they went to the house and stormed
around the house, pretending TO search
or liquor, while Mrs. Lacey was con-
tned in bed with young child about q
week old: and it is also true that they
Tent TO the house of one Miller and err
'ested Miller and his wife, and
ook them to the county Jail, chucking
Miller IN among tramps and thieves, and
lis wife among prostitutes. II is true
hat many other equally outrage
)us acts have been committed by these
ranks invested with little brief author
ty, without word of dissent from the
authorities or the preachers of the city.
rney have repeatedly made seizures with
tut warrants, and if resisted have drawn
md presented loaded reYolvers to PEG
,le's heads. Any law or public sentiment
which will tolerate such brutality de-
serves the reprobation of mankind. For
Gods sake never inhict on your people
uch Law ss that now curslng the people
# Iowa. Very respectfully yours,
VIM. II. MERRETT.